A heartless man hurled a small dog to the floor before attacking the woman who objected to his cruelty.

On Saturday, onlookers looked on in shock as a white man threw a small pug dog onto the ground of a park in Ilbert Street, Kensal Town, in broad daylight.

When an angry park-goer argued with him, the hooded man - who was aged about 20 - spat in her face and threatened to attack her before running off.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: "We would urge anyone who witnessed this horrific attack to contact the police, especially anyone who knows who this man is. He can be prosecuted for causing suffering to the dog or cruely terrifying the animal."

She added that although such cases were not common, the RSPCA has prosecuted people before for throwing pets around.

The dog-thrower is white, aged about 20, and was wearing a black and white striped hoodie and grey jogging trousers.

If you have any information call Westminster North police on 020 7321 8510 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.